EV Charging With Solar at Home: Chargers, Costs and Setup

EV charging with solar is the cheapest way to run a car in Australia. Plug in while the sun is shining and you’re filling the battery with power that would otherwise be exported for a few cents. This guide explains how much solar an EV needs, which charger to buy, what installation costs in 2026, the rules in SA and Victoria, and how to set things up so the car charges from your roof rather than the grid.

How much solar does it take to charge an EV?

Most EVs use about 15–18 kWh per 100 km once charging losses are included. We use 17 kWh per 100 km below. A 6.6kW system produces around 28 kWh on an average day in Adelaide and around 24 kWh in Melbourne, with summer well above average and winter well below.

The catch is timing, not total energy. Your household already uses part of the midday output for the fridge, hot water and air conditioning, and in winter the surplus can be small. Many homes adding an EV go to 10kW or more. Our guide on what size solar system you need walks through the sizing, and an EV is one of the main reasons to go bigger. It’s also one step in a wider plan covered in our complete guide to home electrification.

What type of EV charger do you need?

There are three practical options for a home in SA or Victoria:

Most EVs can only take 7–11 kW from an AC charger, so a 22 kW unit often won’t charge faster in practice. For solar charging, single-phase has an advantage: a car needs at least about 6 amps to charge, which is roughly 1.4 kW on single-phase but about 4.1 kW on three-phase. A single-phase charger can keep soaking up solar on a cloudy afternoon when a three-phase one would have to stop, unless it can switch between one and three phases.

What is a solar-aware EV charger?

A solar-aware (or “smart”) charger measures how much power your home is exporting, either through a current clamp on the mains or a data link to your inverter, and raises or lowers the charge rate to match. Most offer a few modes:

• Solar only: charges only from surplus solar, pausing when a cloud passes or the kettle goes on.
• Solar plus minimum: uses all available solar, topped up from the grid to keep a minimum rate.
• Scheduled or boost: charges at full speed at a set time, such as a free or off-peak window.

Many inverter brands we install, including Fronius, Sungrow, GoodWe, SolaX and Sigenergy, sell EV chargers that talk directly to their own inverters and apps. Standalone chargers that use a current clamp work with almost any solar system. Some car makers and third-party apps can also control charging through the car itself, which can work with a basic charger.

How much does an EV charger cost to install in 2026?

Solar Choice’s price index put the national average for a residential charger, supplied and installed, at $2,179 in March 2025, ranging from $1,883 in the ACT to $2,576 in WA. Prices have softened since as more brands have arrived. Typical 2026 market ranges:

• 7kW single-phase wallbox, installed: about $1,200–$2,500.
• Solar-aware single-phase models: usually toward the upper end of that range.
• Three-phase 11–22 kW wallbox, installed: about $2,000–$4,500 if you already have three-phase power.

Costs rise with long cable runs, an older switchboard that needs upgrading, or a supply upgrade. Converting a single-phase home to three-phase can cost several thousand dollars on its own, which is rarely worth it just for a charger. There’s no federal rebate for home chargers, and chargers aren’t covered by the Cheaper Home Batteries Program.

What does it cost to charge an EV with solar?

Using 12,000 km a year and 17 kWh per 100 km (about 2,040 kWh a year), with assumed prices:

The free windows matter. Solar Sharer offers free power from 12pm to 3pm in SA, and Midday Power Saver offers free power from 11am to 2pm in Victoria (from 1 October 2026), each capped at 24 kWh a day and needing a smart meter. If your car is home at midday, these plans can cover any charging your panels can’t. Rates outside the free window are often higher, so read our comparison of the free midday power plans before switching.

What are the rules for EV chargers in SA and Victoria?

South Australia

• Since 1 July 2024, hard-wired home EV chargers must be capable of demand response and be on the state Technical Regulator’s compliance list. In practice this means a smart charger using OCPP 1.6 or later, or another approved method.
• SA Power Networks doesn’t need to approve a portable charger plugged into a normal 10A or 15A outlet. Chargers above 20A single-phase (or above 25A per phase on three-phase) need an application through its portal before installation. Your installer normally handles this.

Victoria

• A hard-wired charger must be installed by a licensed electrician, who issues a Certificate of Electrical Safety. Your electrician should also check your distributor’s requirements for large loads and whether your switchboard and main cable can carry the extra current.

Incentives in 2026

Neither state offers an EV purchase rebate in 2026. SA’s $3,000 subsidy has closed, and its three-year free registration only applies to eligible EVs first registered before 1 July 2025. Victoria’s subsidy ended in 2023 and its $100 registration discount ended on 1 January 2026. The main national incentive is the electric car fringe benefits tax (FBT) exemption, used mostly through novated leases. The full exemption continues for eligible EVs until 31 March 2027. In May 2026 the government announced that from 1 April 2027 the full exemption would apply only to EVs valued at $75,000 or less, with a 25% discount above that up to the luxury car tax threshold, moving to a 25% discount for all eligible EVs from 1 April 2029. Check the ATO and your adviser for the final rules.

Setting up EV charging with solar: a simple checklist

1. Check your solar size and midday surplus in your inverter app over a few weeks.
2. Choose a single-phase, solar-aware charger that’s compatible with your inverter (and, in SA, on the compliance list).
3. Get the electrician to confirm switchboard capacity and run a dedicated circuit with the right protection.
4. Set the charger to solar-only on weekdays you’re home, with a boost or free-window schedule as a backup.
5. Keep the home battery out of the car’s charging loop.
6. Review after a month and adjust the minimum charge level and schedule.

If the car is at work all day, solar charging is harder. Weekend top-ups, a free midday window on days off, or overnight off-peak rates can fill the gap. Looking further ahead, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging could let the car send power back to the house, but it’s still early in Australia. Pair EV charging with a heat pump running on solar and you’ll use most of your midday output at home instead of exporting it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I charge my EV directly from my solar panels?

Yes. Any charger connected to your home’s wiring will use solar first when the panels are producing more than the house needs. A solar-aware charger goes further by matching the charge rate to your surplus, so you don’t pull extra power from the grid when a cloud passes or another appliance switches on.

Is a 7kW charger enough for most households?

For most homes, yes. A 7kW single-phase charger adds about 40 km of range per hour, so an average day’s driving can be replaced in under two hours. It also suits solar well, because it can charge at low rates from as little as about 1.4 kW of surplus.

What if my car is away during the day?

You can still benefit. Charge from solar on weekends and days off, use a free midday window when you’re home, and charge overnight on a cheaper off-peak rate during the week. A home battery won’t help much, because a car battery is several times larger than a typical home battery.

Do I need a smart charger in South Australia?

If it’s hard-wired, yes. Since 1 July 2024, home EV chargers installed in SA must be capable of demand response and be on the Technical Regulator’s compliance list. Portable chargers that plug into a standard power point aren’t covered by the network approval process.

If you’re adding an EV, it’s worth sizing solar and storage around it. A package like our 13kW home solar system leaves room for the car as well as the house, and our solar battery systems can be set up to stay out of the car’s charging. Our Adelaide and Melbourne team can design the lot together. Get a free quote.

Sources: SA Power Networks – EV chargers in residential and small business sites; SA Power Networks – Bidirectional and V2G charging on the network; ATO – Electric cars exemption; BDO – Farewell to the full FBT exemption on EVs (May 2026); pv magazine Australia – Solar Choice price index (21 Mar 2025). Charger prices, tariffs and tax rules change; the cost examples use assumed prices. Featured image: Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.